Inter Milan will host Lazio on Tuesday night in the Coppa Italia quarter-finals, aiming to set up a dramatic semi-final against city rivals AC Milan. For Inter, the goal is clear: win the trophy for the 10th time. But first, they’ll need to get past Lazio, who are eager to spoil the party.
Inter’s month of February has been a rollercoaster. They drew the Milan derby, took a heavy 3-0 loss in Florence, and were defeated by Juventus in the Derby d’Italia. But they’ve also managed to bounce back with wins over Fiorentina and Genoa, including a crucial late goal from Lautaro Martínez to secure a 1-0 victory over Genoa, which lifted them to the top of Serie A. With Napoli slipping up, Inter now lead the table by a single point ahead of a tense showdown in Naples this weekend.
While they lost last month’s Supercoppa Italiana to AC Milan, there’s still hope for a potential treble this season. Inter are in pole position for the Scudetto, have a Champions League round-of-16 tie against Feyenoord, and are looking to keep their Coppa Italia hopes alive. They entered the competition at the round-of-16 stage due to their European commitments, where goals from Marko Arnautovic and Kristjan Asllani saw them comfortably beat Udinese.
Now, Simone Inzaghi faces his old club, Lazio, whom he managed to a club-record 108 Serie A wins. His last encounter with them ended in a 6-0 rout, so Lazio will be out for revenge.
Lazio, on the other hand, are in strong form, having recently stunned Napoli 3-1 thanks to a hat-trick from Tijjani Noslin in the last round. They’re coming off a solid run in the Europa League, where they’ve already made it through to the knockout stages.
But their league form has been a bit inconsistent lately, with back-to-back draws against Napoli and Venezia. They’ll need to up their game to take down the Italian champions and secure a spot in the semi-finals, where they’d meet Milan in a two-legged tie.
With both teams boasting solid credentials and high aspirations, Tuesday’s clash promises to be a thrilling encounter.
INJURIES & SUSPENSION
Inter Milan coach Simone Inzaghi is facing a growing injury list ahead of Tuesday’s Coppa Italia clash. Already without first-choice goalkeeper Yann Sommer, who recently underwent thumb surgery, and French forward Marcus Thuram, Inzaghi now has a new worry regarding Thuram’s replacement from the Genoa match.
Joaquín Correa, who started in place of Thuram, was forced off at halftime due to a knee sprain. This leaves Inzaghi with a choice between Marko Arnautovic or Mehdi Taremi to step into the attack. Additionally, Carlos Augusto and Davide Frattesi remain uncertain due to injury.
With a crucial Serie A title decider looming on Saturday, Inzaghi could make further adjustments. Stefan de Vrij, Piotr Zielinski, and Hakan Calhanoglu are all in line for a potential start.
As for Lazio, they’re still without their top scorer Taty Castellanos, leaving Tijjani Noslin, the hero of their Coppa Italia last-round victory with a hat-trick, likely to continue up front. Midfielder Nicolo Rovella is back after serving a one-match ban, which is a boost for the Biancocelesti.
Lazio will also be missing Elseid Hysaj, former Inter player Matias Vecino, and Castellanos, while Fisayo Dele-Bashiru picked up an injury against Venezia and could also be sidelined.
The big question for Lazio is whether goalkeeper Ivan Provedel will return to the starting lineup after being dropped on Saturday. Christos Mandas took his place in the 1-1 draw at Venezia, but coach Marco Baroni has confirmed that Provedel remains his first-choice keeper.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Inter Milan possible starting lineup:
J. Martinez; Bisseck, De Vrij, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Calhanoglu, Zielinski, Dimarco; L. Martinez, Taremi
Lazio possible starting lineup:
Mandas; Lazzari, Gila, Romagnoli, Tavares; Guendouzi, Rovella; Isaksen, Pedro, Zaccagni; Noslin
EXPERT PREDICTION
Inter Milan 2-1 Lazio
While Lazio have impressed in the Europa League, they’ve struggled to get the better of Inter, and they could face an early exit from the Coppa Italia in the quarter-finals.
With a potential Milan showdown on the horizon, Simone Inzaghi is likely to get the better of his former club once again, even if his current team isn't quite hitting their best form.
